Golf Tee

Abstract

A golf tee includes a stem having a distal end and an opposing proximal end for supporting a golf ball thereon. A suction member is disposed at the proximal end of the stem and includes a suction surface for temporarily maintaining the golf ball on the golf tee.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of copending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/387,555 filed Sep. 29, 2010, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to golf tees, and more particularly to an improved golf tee having a suction surface for receiving, and temporarily maintaining, a golf ball thereon during positioning of the golf ball in the game of golf.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the game of golf, a player often drives a golf ball pre-positioned on a golf tee. The player inserts the golf tee into the ground, places the golf ball atop the golf tee, positions himself relative to the golf ball, and prepares to swing a golf club to drive the golf ball off of the tee. Golf balls have a tendency to fall off of the golf tee during placement of the golf ball on the golf tee and/or during insertion of the golf tee, with the golf ball pre-positioned thereon, into the ground. Having to repeatedly reposition the golf ball on the golf tee before driving the golf ball is not only annoying to the player, but can provide obstacles for players who have difficulty bending down.

Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a golf tee that maintains a temporary hold on the golf ball during positioning of the golf ball relative to the ground.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a golf tee including a stem having a distal end and an opposing proximal end for supporting a golf ball thereon and a suction member disposed at the proximal end. The suction member has a suction surface shaped to temporarily maintain the golf ball on the golf tee.

With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a golf tee including an elongated stem having a distal end having a pointed tip and an opposing proximal end having a tee head. The tee head includes a suction member having a concave suction surface. The suction surface is shaped to provide a temporary suction hold between the suction member and an outer surface of a golf ball to temporarily maintain the golf ball at the proximal end during positioning of the golf ball relative to a ground surface.

With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a ball-holding golf tee kit, including a golf tee having a stem with a pointed distal end and an opposing proximal end shaped to maintain a golf ball thereon and a retrofitting suction member having a lower hollow cylindrical base shaped to receive and hold therein the proximal end of the golf tee and an upper suction member having an upper concave suction surface shaped to temporarily maintain the golf ball thereon with a temporary suction force.

With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a method of positioning a golf ball in the game of golf. A suction-generating golf tee is provided and has a stem with a distal end and an opposing proximal end. A suction member is disposed at the proximal end of the stem. The suction member has an upper suction surface for temporarily maintaining the golf ball on the golf tee. The golf ball is temporarily supported on the suction-generating golf tee by pressing the golf ball against the upper suction surface to create a temporary suction hold between the golf ball and the suction member.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the suction member comprises a base coupled to the proximal end of the stem. The suction surface comprises a suction cup extending proximally from the base.

In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the base is coupled to the proximal end of the stem by an adhesive, an interference fit, a press fit, and/or a screw fit.

In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the base includes a cavity sized to receive the proximal end of the stem to couple the suction member thereto.

In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, there is provided a filler material disposed at least partially between the proximal end of the stem and the base of the suction member. The material improves connection between the proximal end of the stem and the base.

In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the proximal end of the stem includes a cavity sized to receive the base to couple the suction member thereto.

In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the suction member is formed from an elastic synthetic resin material.

In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the suction cup is generally conical and includes a smaller diameter nose portion disposed at the base and extends proximally therefrom to a larger diameter open end defining a concave inner surface. The concave inner surface defines the suction surface for receiving, and temporarily maintaining, the golf ball thereon.

In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, the suction member temporarily maintains the golf ball on the golf tee for approximately 6 to approximately 10 seconds.

In accordance with again an added feature of the invention, the method of positioning the golf ball further comprises inserting the golf tee into a ground.

In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, the steps of pressing the golf ball against the suction surface and inserting the golf tee into the ground are performed concurrently.

In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the step of inserting the golf tee into the ground is performed either before or after the step of pressing the golf ball against the suction surface.

In accordance with still a further mode of the invention, the steps of pressing the golf ball against the suction surface and inserting the golf tee into the ground are performed concurrently.

In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the step of inserting the golf tee into the ground is performed either before or after the step of pressing the golf ball against the suction surface.

Additional advantages and other features characteristic of the present invention will be set forth in the detailed description that follows and may be apparent from the detailed description or may be learned by practice of exemplary embodiments of the invention. Still other advantages of the invention may be realized by any of the instrumentalities, methods, or combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a golf tee including a suction surface for supporting, and temporarily maintaining, a golf ball thereon, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention.

Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, which are not true to scale, and which, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf tee according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the golf tee of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a golf tee according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one of ordinary skill in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting; but rather, to provide an understandable description of the invention. While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following description in conjunction with the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals are carried forward. The figures of the drawings are not drawn to scale.

Herein various embodiment of the present invention are described. In many of the different embodiments, features are similar. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, repetitive description of these similar features may not be made in some circumstances. It shall be understood, however, that description of a first-appearing feature applies to the later described similar feature and each respective description, therefore, is to be incorporated therein without such repetition.

Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,” as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. The term “proximal,” as used herein, is defined as a position closer to the player, and the term “distal,” as used herein, is defined as a position further away from the player, during use of the golf tee. The term “longitudinal,” as used herein, should be understood to mean in a direction corresponding to an elongated direction of the elongated stem of the golf tee.

Relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

As used herein, the term “about” or “approximately” applies to all numeric values, whether or not explicitly indicated. These terms generally refer to a range of numbers that one of skill in the art would consider equivalent to the recited values (i.e., having the same function or result). In many instances these terms may include numbers that are rounded to the nearest significant figure.

The device of the present invention provides a novel golf tee that maintains a temporary hold on a golf ball during positioning thereof in the game of golf. An objective of the present invention is to alleviate the inconvenience and annoyance associated with having to reposition a golf ball that repetitively falls off of a golf tee during positioning of the golf ball in the game of golf.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a first exemplary embodiment of a golf tee according to the present invention. The golf tee 10 is comprised of an elongated shaft or stem 11 having a proximal end 12 for supporting a golf ball 32 thereon and an opposing distal end 14 that is preferably pointed or tapered for insertion into the ground surface 34 of the ground 30. A suction member 16 is disposed at the proximal end 12 of the stem 11 to temporarily grasp or hold onto the golf ball 32 during positioning thereof. The suction member 16 includes a base 18 and a suction cup 20 extending proximally therefrom. The suction cup 20 is generally conical, including a smaller diameter nose or apex 19 (see FIG. 2) disposed at the suction member base 18 and extending proximally therefrom to a larger diameter open free end 21. The conical suction cup 20 includes a generally concave inner surface defining a suction surface 22 for receiving, and temporarily maintaining, the golf ball 32 thereon.

In an exemplary embodiment, the suction cup 20 is comprised of elastic synthetic resin material impenetrable by air, which may be any of conventionally known various materials commonly used for forming suction cups, for example, synthetic resin materials based on urethane, styrene, silicone resin, or the like. The suction cup 20 may be comprised of any other material, known or contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art, suitable for providing a temporary suction hold between the suction surface 22 and an outer surface of the golf ball 32, free of any other structure or element, e.g., without the help of an additional vacuum source or an adhesive. In the present embodiment, the base 18 and the suction cup 20 of the suction member 16 are formed unitarily as a single piece. Alternatively, the suction cup 20 may be separate from, yet attached to, the base 18 without falling beyond the scope of the present invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 18 of the suction member 16 fits over, or receives, the proximal end 12 of the stem 11. As depicted in FIG. 2, the proximal end 12 of the stem 11 has a flared head portion 13, typical of golf tees commonly known in the art. The base 18 of the suction member 16 includes a cavity 24 sized to receive the flared head portion 13 to attach the suction member 16 thereto. In an exemplary embodiment, the base 18 forms a press or interference fit with the flared head portion 13. Alternatively, an adhesive or a screw fitting, or other measures known or contemplated by one of skill in the art, may be utilized to connect the suction member 16 and the proximal end 12 of the stem 11. A filler material 26, e.g., an adhesive, Styrofoam, or polymer, may be used to fill in the gap between the flared head portion 13 and the base 18 to provide a more secure fit therebetween.

In FIG. 3, there is shown a second exemplary embodiment of a golf tee 110, wherein similar parts to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by like reference numbers increased by 100. In this embodiment, the suction member 116 fits within, rather than over, the proximal end 112 of the stem 111. As shown, the base 118 of the suction member 116 is generally cylindrical and extends distally from the nose or apex 119 of the conical suction cup 120. The proximal end 112 of the stem 111 has a flared head portion 113 including a cavity 125 formed therein and sized to receive the base 118. In this embodiment, tabs 117 extending radially outward from the base 118 engage a shoulder 128 formed in the cavity 125 of the flared head portion 113 to secure the base 118 within the cavity 125, and thus secure the suction member 116 to the proximal end 112 of the stem 111. The base 118 may be secured within the cavity 125 by any other measures known or contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art, for example, an adhesive, a screw fit, or an interference fit.

Apart from the attachment measures shown and described above with respect to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1-3, the suction member 16 may be coupled to the proximal end 12 of the stem 11 by any other measures known or contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art, e.g., through an adhesive, a screw fit, or interference fit. For example, similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the suction member 16 may be sized to fit over, or receive, the proximal end 12 of the stem 11. Unlike the embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2, however, the proximal end 12 of the stem 11 may be tubular, like the body portion of the stem 11 between the proximal 12 and distal ends 14, rather than having a flared head portion 13. Thus, the base 18 of the suction member 16 may include a cavity 24 sized to fit over the tubular proximal end 12, similar to a retrofitting eraser sized to fit over, or receive, the eraser end of a pencil.

In another alternative embodiment, the suction member 16 may be formed unitarily or integral with at least a portion of the stem 11.

During placement of the golf ball 32 onto the golf tee 10, a player presses the golf ball 32 against the concave suction surface 22 of the suction cup 20. The air trapped inside the concave area is forced out, creating a vacuum. This vacuum, or suction, temporarily maintains the golf ball 32 on the proximal end 12 of the golf tee 10. Because of the rounded, dimpled outer surface of a typical golf ball 32, air from the atmosphere will eventually force its way back between the concave suction surface 22 of the suction cup 20 and the golf ball 32, thereby breaking the hold therebetween. Thus, the hold between the suction surface 22 and the golf ball 32 is only temporary, lasting approximately 6 to approximately 10 seconds. This temporary hold is desirable so that the golf ball 32 remains in position on the golf tee 10 during positioning of the golf ball 32 relative to the ground surface 34, yet the player's game is not affected. The player's game remains unaffected because the suction force between the golf ball 32 and the golf tee 10 is broken by the time the player hits the golf ball 32 off of the golf tee 10.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawing illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A golf tee, comprising:

a stem having a distal end and an opposing proximal end; and

a suction member disposed at the proximal end, the suction member having a suction surface shaped to temporarily maintain a golf ball on the golf tee.

2. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein:

the suction member comprises a base coupled to the proximal end of the stem; and

the suction surface comprises a suction cup extending proximally away from the base.

3. The golf tee according to claim 2, wherein the base is coupled to the proximal end of the stem by one of an adhesive, an interference fit, a press fit, and a screw fit.

4. The golf tee according to claim 2, wherein the base includes a cavity sized to receive the proximal end of the stem to couple the suction member thereto.

5. The golf tee according to claim 4, further comprising a material disposed at least partially between the proximal end of the stem and the base of the suction member, the material operable to improve connection between the proximal end of the stem and the base.

6. The golf tee according to claim 2, wherein the proximal end of the stem includes a cavity sized to receive the base and, thereby, couple the suction member thereto.

7. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the suction member is formed from an elastic synthetic resin material.

8. The golf tee according to claim 2, wherein the suction cup is generally conical and includes a smaller diameter nose portion disposed at the base and extending proximally therefrom to a larger-diameter open end defining a concave inner surface, the concave inner surface forming the suction surface for receiving, and temporarily maintaining, the golf ball thereon.

9. The golf tee according to claim 1, wherein the suction member is operable to temporarily maintain the golf ball on the golf tee for approximately 6 to approximately 10 seconds.

10. A golf tee, comprising:

an elongated stem having: a distal end having a pointed tip; and an opposing proximal end having a tee head including a suction member having a concave suction surface, the suction surface shaped to provide a temporary suction hold between the suction member and an outer surface of a golf ball to temporarily maintain the golf ball at the proximal end during positioning of the golf ball relative to a ground surface.

11. The golf tee according to claim 10, wherein the suction member comprises:

a base coupled to the proximal end of the stem; and

a suction cup extending proximally from the base and being generally conical in shape and including the concave suction surface.

12. The golf tee according to claim 11, wherein the base is coupled to the proximal end of the stem by one of an adhesive, an interference fit, a press fit, and a screw fit.

13. The golf tee according to claim 11, wherein the base includes a cavity sized to receive the proximal end of the stem to couple the suction member thereto.

14. The golf tee according to claim 11, wherein the proximal end of the stem includes a cavity sized to receive the base and, thereby, couple the suction member thereto.

15. The golf tee according to claim 10, wherein the suction member is formed from an elastic synthetic resin material.

16. A ball-holding golf tee kit, comprising:

a golf tee having a stem with a pointed distal end and an opposing proximal end shaped to maintain a golf ball thereon; and

a retrofitting suction member having: a lower hollow cylindrical base shaped to receive and hold therein the proximal end of the golf tee; and an upper suction member having an upper concave suction surface shaped to temporarily maintain the golf ball thereon with a temporary suction force.

17. A method for positioning a golf ball in the game of golf, which comprises:

providing a suction-generating golf tee comprising: a stem having a distal end and an opposing proximal end; and a suction member disposed at the proximal end of the stem, the suction member having an upper suction surface for temporarily maintaining the golf ball on the golf tee; and

temporarily supporting the golf ball on the suction-generating golf tee by pressing the golf ball against the upper suction surface to create a temporary suction hold between the golf ball and the suction member.

18. The method according to claim 17, which further comprises inserting the golf tee into the ground.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the steps of pressing the golf ball against the suction surface and inserting the golf tee into the ground are performed concurrently.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of inserting the golf tee into the ground is performed either before or after the step of pressing the golf ball against the suction surface.

21. The method according to claim 17, which further comprises maintaining the temporary suction hold between the golf ball and the suction surface for approximately 6 to approximately 10 seconds.